Check out these pipes

[LAone]

thanks big greg. it had to be said and it needs to stop.

well back to the subject on hand, PIPES..

yup, all toyota engines. even the v8..

[Greg Myers]

My thoughts on the matter. First off let ME apologizes, as I made my share of sarcastic posts.When posting the first picturemy thoughts were: "What is this?" I've seen a bunch of stuff from the day and have never come across anything like this. (I have a collection of Hot Rod that goes back to the early '50's). My first thought was of TV Tommy Ivo's first single engine Buick dragster. I must admit my second thought was the same thing Mike Newport came up with, (and again I apologize Mike). I'm really into building AMT's Double Dragster kits right now. I've got all kinds of ideas going, trying to utilize all the parts in each kit.So when I came across this photo(and I can't remember from whence it came) I was really baffled.

[ra7c7er]

Bosozoku cars are the Japanese equivalent of customizing an American car. It is about style nothing else. I don't see why one is any better than the other. It is the same thing.

Do I get Bosozoku style NO do I think it is cool for what it is and the thought and process and the uniqueness when it is done YEAH. Do I get chopping, channeling, and sectioning NO do I think it is cool for what it is and the thought and process and the uniqueness when it is done YEAH.

It amazes me constantly how closed minded the American car culture is.

Edited March 25, 2011 by ra7c7er

[LDO]

My favorite wild pipes, and what is IMHO the sexiest car ever made. I'd love to build a full-size replica.

[Lunajammer]

All those photos remind me of eating at Charley-Joe's Cafe. Talk about compression and exhaust!

[Modelmartin]

My favorite wild pipes, and what is IMHO the sexiest car ever made. I'd love to build a full-size replica.

If you can believe it, there was a Japanese tin toy made of the Thomasissimmo. I saw it with my own eyes. It was about a foot long and wasn't too bad although I am sure it is rare and very pricey.

[Jon Cole]

Something to note- these pipes could be viewed as works of art. Well, at least by car guys. To bend; shape; construct, and weld these steel snakes into a functional finished product is kinda cool.

So, how on earth do they know how to shape the pipes like that? What is the guiding principal to all the twists and bends?

[Joe Handley]

They have to make them fit in a given space and sometimes that requires a little creativity if that space is tight, then throw a turbo or two into the mix and things can get pretty wild!

[Jon Cole]

Why can't they just weld pipe to the flange, even at an angle, to get from point A to point B as straight as possible?

I guess I don't understand why some of the shapes seems more elaborate then needed. How much of this is done for other reasons? Perhaps audio tone? Back pressure?

In theory, couldn''t the exhaust header start w/ 4 pipes into a funnel shape, tapering down to one pipe? Might not look good, just wondering why some pipes do big loops, other pipes don't. Is there a science to it?

BTW, I am referring to non-turbo setups.

Edited March 26, 2011 by Jon Cole

[Jon Cole]

It all depends on where you want to mount the snail, you figure out where the snail is going to mount and how you are going to mount it, then start mocking up pipes.

Are you referring to the turbo plumbing?

[Harry P.]

I think that the length of each pipe is engineered for maximum efficiency... and sometimes in order to get a particular length of pipe to fit a particular space, you have to introduce some crazy bends to get everything to fit where it has to fit.

[Agent G]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, one of the reasons is the pipes need to be equal in length? I know this came into play with the old Kawasaki 2 stroke triples, and I vaguely remember the Honda fours needing equal length pipes until they met in a 4 into 1 performance exhaust.

By the way, any ideas on just how much HP these lil saki burners produce? I've heard astronomical numbers, but inquiring minds want to know.

G

[Joe Handley]

Correct me if I'm wrong but, one of the reasons is the pipes need to be equal in length? I know this came into play with the old Kawasaki 2 stroke triples, and I vaguely remember the Honda fours needing equal length pipes until they met in a 4 into 1 performance exhaust.

By the way, any ideas on just how much HP these lil saki burners produce? I've heard astronomical numbers, but inquiring minds want to know.

G

I've heard of stupidly high numbers, supposedly severely built versions of the current Lancer Evo has been known to see as high as 1000hp, a local tuning shop has built 1000+ Wheel HP Nissan GTR's too:blink:

[Agent G]

I had heard upwards of 900hp and thought it was a misprint.

1000? Holy valvefloat Batman!

G

[Chuck Most]

If you look through a catalog, you'll see all sorts of crazy looking headers for various applications. Sure, theoretically the best way to do it is a straight shot, but if there's an oil filter or a starter in the way , that isn't possible, so those weird bends and kinks come into play. So there is a practical side to it, but some guys just like to take a little creative licence with the tubing bender and whip up a little bit of 'performance art'. Nothing wrong with thah, eh?

[Dr. Cranky]

Doctor Cranky says: OH MY!

[Jon Cole]

If you look through a catalog, you'll see all sorts of crazy looking headers for various applications. Sure, theoretically the best way to do it is a straight shot, but if there's an oil filter or a starter in the way , that isn't possible, so those weird bends and kinks come into play. So there is a practical side to it, but some guys just like to take a little creative licence with the tubing bender and whip up a little bit of 'performance art'. Nothing wrong with thah, eh?

Exactly as I suspected! Thus my "art" comment. But I also wonder if the ideal design tries to keep all pipes to similar lengths? The plumbing to the front chamber(s) will be longer than the pipes to the rear chambers, so they perhaps compensate with more bends to the rear cylinders?

BTW, on a related note, I finally purchased some solid core solder yesterday. I thought it would be listed in millimeters, but all were in standard. I bought a roll of 3/32". Looking forward to doing my own pipes & heads.

[Greg Myers]

Do your home work. Check out Exhaust header design.

[Jon Cole]

Do your home work. Check out Exhaust header design.

Great article. Thanks Greg.

[DiscoSpud]

those transparent coolant hoses in the japanese car are awesome! i wish i'd have thought of that.

I've learnt personally not to dicriminate, as there are so many amazing innovations in the custom car world that are just awesome. We may not understand it or even think that all of it is cool, but we should accept it for what it is and perhaps learn more. I want to build old japanese cars into my collection now, like a proper Rx3 savanna or an old 70s corolla. mostly I just have fords atm.

[gunner]

My question would be is how would you duplicate the coloring of those pipes in scale? My next car project will most likely be a Lotus Type 79 and I'd like the exhaust to look real.

[Corvette.Jeff]

I cant stand these things on diesel trucks(other than semi's)

But if i had a diesel in my dually, id probably put stacks on it

[Harry P.]

My question would be is how would you duplicate the coloring of those pipes in scale? My next car project will most likely be a Lotus Type 79 and I'd like the exhaust to look real.

Airbrush. It's pretty much the only way to get that heat-stained look.

[moparmagiclives]

The wild and crazy bends, and tube length come into play with the fireing order (and valve pulse) of the engine, not just the fitting in the car thats why the GT40 picture in the early end of this topic had pipes coming from one side to the other and not just off the head and out the back. There really is alot of science behind them, turbo or not.

Dave, those 45deg welded header pics are gorgeous !!!!! And ohhhhh so functional.

[jbwelda]

as to why pipes are sometimes a real snakes nest, you want the ideal header to scavenge the exhaust gasses from the combustion chamber by active sucking it out if possible. that can involve a lot of complicated routing to make the exhaust path as smooth as possible but also creating the scavenging effect. and you want all cylinders to do it the same, so you end up with requiring equal length pipes which in tight quarters involves a lot of bending and getting length where you can. there is a whole science to header design, though it might be debatable whether some or even most of the examples shown here adhere to it vs just for looks. for sure those ramchargers pipes had purpose in the scavenging area probably working in conjunction with those extreme risers on the intake.